"HOLY, HOLY, HOLY," LORD GOD ALMIGHTY

Most of us with recognize the first words of this very famous hymn written by Reginald Heber some 200 years ago. To this day it sends chills down my spine every time I hear it, hum it or sing it... For sure this old hymn clearly represents our God as the holiest of the Holy, which brings me to my subject for the blog: SANCTIFICATION.

To understand this misunderstood and rarely used important piece of our relationship with God Almighty, you need to understand this word completely. As usual we will start with the etymology of the word and build from there. "Sanctificare" means to sanctify in Latin. If you break this down further, you get two words, "Sanctus" and "Facere." The literal translation of "Sanctus" is "Holy", and the literal translation of "Facere" is "to make." Others believe that it means, "to set apart for a special purpose." I prefer the the Latin derivation because it is simple and accurate. Whenever and wherever I can eliminated a man's interpretation of a passage, the closer we are to the Holy Spirit's inspiration.

From a scriptural perspective the Book of Hebrews does the best job in identifying and explaining this important subject matter. It is critical to understanding the strength and longevity of redemption and salvation. The Word of God is crystal clear in Hebrews 10:10, where the author says, "And by that will, we have been sanctified (made Holy) through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."


As wonderful as this verse is for us, we need to add Hebrews 10:14 to savor the complete message for all those who believe, "For by one offering he has made perfect forever those who are being consecrated." Together there can be no doubt in your mind that Sanctification is permanent! It is NOT time bound, NOT ever at risk, NOT based on your "works," and NOT reversible!! Your debt for sin has been paid forever. You cannot pay off what's already been paid for including past, present and future sin. You cannot lose your salvation! You soul has been permanently made pure, and God no longer sees you as the sinner, He sees your soul!

So what happens when you sin after you have been Sanctified? Here are of few thought on that subject:

1. You sacrifice your closeness to God, but not your salvation.
2. You sacrifice the flow of God's blessings, but not your salvation.
3. You sacrifice righteousness, but not your salvation.

Since Jesus was the necessary final sin offering, no other is required; however, if you are content to live a life of sin and degradation, you might want to check to see if your personal sanctification is real or fake. If you have no moral compass built in, like the Holy Spirit, then you are a fraud. Today we have a bi-polar mind set that needs to be rectified and justified:

1. Are you a sinner or are you saved? You cannot be both or travel back and forth between them. If you still are a sinner in your daily life without remorse and without understanding, then you are NOT saved. On the other hand if you are genuinely redeemed, your slate has been wiped clean, but you are far from perfect. Now that you are a child of God, you may still sin, but it will sting and remain in your conscience until you have made it right with the Almighty. If you are still walking the original path of destruction, you need to look up and pray that you will be shown a new path; one that is filled with wisdom and understanding, compassion and contriteness, kindness and generosity. You must be moving towards Holiness every day of the rest of your life. Remember you have a pure soul. Remember you have the Spirit of God living  inside of you. Remember your name has been written in the Lamb's Book of Life. 
2. Are you pitiful or powerful? Here again you cannot be both...God imbues you and your life with power the moment of your salvation. He "girds up our loins," so that we can withstand everything that life throws our way. He gives you armor, so that you can stand up to evil and temptation. He gives you an impenetrable foundation called the Word of God on which you can build every day. You may stumble many times, but you now have the power to get back up each and every time. You just can't be pitifully weak. Spiritual weakness is NOT humility. Knowing that you have the full faith and credit of the Triune God on your side allows you to conquer all of your fears, so that you can live in harmony with God, chuck full of lovingkindness and humility. 

Stay away from erroneous, biblically unfounded presuppositions of men. Whether Jew or Gentile, you are a child of our holy, heavenly Father. Beware of false profits who can mesmerize with their amazing skills in the pulpit. If they are rich and getting richer by the minute, stop and think! There are wolves out there, and they are dressed like anything you want them to be. It's all about the money, the power and the lifestyle for them, not about tending to the flock with the help of God himself.

And finally my saved and sanctified friend, if you find yourself one day not feeling close to our God, just ask yourself this simple question...Who moved away? I guarantee it was not and will never be our hallowed Lord God.

May God keep you vigilant and fill you with divine wisdom, so that you wield your amazing power with courage and grace. This power comes with the gift of spiritual insight and the strength to humbly stand for Him.

The Digital Disciple

THE UNSUNG HERO...GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT

It seems to me that the God the Holy Spirit takes somewhat of a backseat to God the Father and Creator, and Jesus Christ, the son of God, but don't take my word for it, look at this comparison:

1. God is mentioned 4,446 times in the KJV.
2. Jesus or Jesus Christ or Christ is mentioned 1,554 times in the KJV.
3. The Holy Spirit is mentioned 297 times in the KJV.

Of the 4,446 times God is mentioned, He is spread across every Book of the Bible. The 1554 times Jesus is mentioned puts two-thirds of the times in the NT. The Holy Spirit is only mentioned three times in the OT and 261 times in the NT. By these statistics alone you can see how each name is prioritized in the Bible. So why is there such a gigantic difference, between the three parts of the Holy Trinity that we believe in to this day? The facts are not in dispute, but when you compare the numbers above, you understand that truly, God the Holy Spirit's recognition in the Bible is minimal when compared the Father and the Son. 


The Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost has many names in Scripture, and here are the ones used most commonly:

1. Spirit of God
2. Spirit of Christ
3. Spirit of your Father
4. Spirit of Truth
5. Spirit of the Lord

Back in Genesis 1:2, you remember that the "Spirit of God walked upon the waters." Almost immediately we are introduced to this person, as being on earth as it was being formed by God Almighty.

So is this part of the Trinity corporeal and actually walking in Genesis or is He incorporeal like God, the Father? I believe he is an energy life-force, just like God, the Father and Jesus before he was born in that manger 2000 plus years ago. Judaism believes that He is "the breath of God." They certainly believe that he exists, but not as the 3rd part of the Triune God. Since they also don't believe Jesus was the Messiah, they have packaged their belief system in monotheism and have done so for 6,000 years.

So what else do we know about the Holy Spirit? Well, John 14:26, Jesus refers to the Spirit as, "The Helper." His role seems to be to move the agenda along in a number of ways:

1. He teaches us. Luke 12:12 says that "He will teach you in that very hour what you need to say." What a promise! He is there to make sure your words are clear and correct at all times, as long as your relationship is acknowledged and used.
2. He intercedes for us. Romans 8:26 says that the "Spirit also helps our weakness." Since we do not know how to really pray, the Holy Spirit reiterates your thoughts and prayers "with groaning too deep for words." This is fascinating to me...We have our own built in translator. Anyone who believes on the Lord Jesus Christ has this Holy Spirit living inside of them. Think about what that means, and few of us understand it, and even fewer have learned to take advantage of Him in our daily lives.
3. He comforts us. Jesus says he will pray to God the Father and He shall give you a "Comforter," who will abide in you forever. Jesus said this to the Apostles, but He knew we would all need this comfort to get through the difficult times. If you let Him, He will be there in fear, in grief, and in sickness. If you don't use Him you suffer more than necessary. If you continue to ignore Him, the Bible says He actually grieves for you. 
4. He empowers us. Here is where you find victory in your life from the sins of the flesh. On our own we tend to fail miserably. I can attest to trying it on my own and going backwards, instead of forwards. No matter what the problem in our proclivity to sin, here is the answer for victory one day at a time. He will give the power to break any bondage plaguing your life, so that you can walk in tandem with a direct pipeline to God. Are you struggling with weight? Are you struggling with pills? Are you struggling with your faith? Are you struggling with your temper? These are just a few of many that He can empower to to overcome. 
5. He inspires prophecy. Have you ever been reading the Word of God, and suddenly had a great revelation of truth...Where did that come from anyway? The Holy Spirit continues to inspire the individuals in which he resides. As I study and write this blog, I am often amazed at where the words come from that flow from me to this digital communication. Yes, I study, yes, I have some God-given talent to write, but the subject matter and the free fall of ideas comes from another place, and I believe it is the Holy Spirit just doing his job.

There are other jobs that seem to fall under the Holy Spirit's enormous job description, but you get the point. If you neglect the Holy Spirit in your life, you need to re-think that position and understand that you absolutely need him at full strength in your life, no different than God the Father and Jesus Christ. They are the amazing Trinity or Triune God composed of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. 

Whether or not you realize it or not God gave you a living soul when you were born the 1st time. He gave you another gift when you were born again and washed clean by the sacrifice of Jesus for our sin. This gift of the Holy Spirit has taken up residence in each believer, and He is waiting for each of us to stop neglecting His precious gifts and abilities. We have an amazingly difficult time internalizing, much less understanding the Trinity, we call God. Some like to make the comparison to water, since it is the same in any of the three different forms, Ice, Liquid and Steam. This is 3 difference states of being with the identical properties of each other. I don't believe this explains the complexity of our Godhead, but it at least opens our minds to what might be.

Greet the Holy Spirit, praying to Him on occasion, and you will receive an added measure of divine wisdom and strength for all the days of your life.

May the Triune God we both fear and love bless us all in these trying times!

The Digital Disciple

KING JAMES BIBLE...Inspired Word of God? Post #2

As promised, here is the 2nd part of the KING JAMES BIBLE posting. Here you will find solid evidence of tampering with three of the 49 outstanding versions of scripture. By way of background you need to know the 1st version of the KJV was translated in 1611. It was translated from the original Hebrew text in the OT and Koine Greek text of the Septuagint. There were 40 translators involved from all walks of life and different religions. James VI wanted a version of God's Word that mirrored the original in every way possible. This was a major undertaking and King James was smart enough to know that he needed genuine scholars of the ancient texts to be certain that the end result was a legitimate re-creation of the original text and it's meaning. Only one problem, the new text is in what we call middle English, which is a sort of blend between Gaelic and the King's English at the time. Fundamentally, it's like reading Chaucer or Shakespeare with a heavy Scottish brogue. It was perfect for life in 1611, but as the morphology of the English language continued over time, it was soon out-dated and impractical. Then in the late 1769 it got revised into the KJV version that you see online and major bookstores worldwide.


Now we are going to compare three (3) very popular versions of the Bible, so that we can learn once and for all the types of changes made in them. Upon completion I believe you will have a new outlook on God's Holy Word. At the very least, if you study these tables, your knowledge base on this all-important subject will have been challenged and expanded. Do I believe that God can use any version, revision or translation to communicate with believers? Absolutely, I do!! God can and will trump any hidden agenda, translation error or just plain human error. I believe that these differences in many cases were planned in advance to further the cause of a particular religious sect or even the evil one, himself.


So here are the three that we will concentrate on in the remainder of this post:

1. New International Bible
2. New American Standard Bible
3. New World Translation

The first chart concentrates on the preeminence of Jesus Christ. You will see verse after verse that has been altered to make the reader feel that Jesus was not really a Deity in His own right or making him as close to being "just" human.

	AV (King James)	New International	New American Standard	New World Translation
Mt 1:25	firstborn son	a son	a Son	a son
Mt 8:29	Jesus, thou Son of God	Son of God	Son of God	Son of God
Mt 13:51	Yea, Lord	Yes	Yes	Yes
Mt 16:20	Jesus the Christ	the Christ	the Christ	the Christ
Mk 9:24	Lord, I believe	I do believe	I do believe	I have faith
Mk 11:10	that cometh in the name of the Lord	coming	coming	coming
Lk 4:41	Thou art Christ the Son of God	You are the Son of God	You are the Son of God	You are the Son of God
Lk 7:31	the Lord said	OMITTED	OMITTED	OMITTED
Lk 22:31	the Lord said	OMITTED	OMITTED	OMITTED
Lk 23:42	he said unto Jesus,Lord, remember me	Jesus, remember me	Jesus, remember me	Jesus, remember me
Jn 4:42	the Christ, the Saviour	the Savior	the Savior	the Savior
Jn 6:69	Christ, the Son of the Living God	Holy One of God	Holy One of God	Holy One of God
Jn 9:35	Son of God	Son of Man	Son of Man	Son of man
Ac 16:31	Lord Jesus Christ	Lord Jesus	Lord Jesus	Lord Jesus
Ro 1:16	gospel of Christ	gospel	gospel	good news
1Co 15:47	the second man is the Lord from heaven	the second man from heaven	the second man is from heaven	the second man is out of heaven
1Co 16:22	Lord Jesus Christ	Lord	Lord	Lord
1Co 16:23	Lord Jesus Christ	Lord Jesus	Lord Jesus	Lord Jesus
2Co 4:6	Jesus Christ	Christ	Christ	Christ
2Co 5:18	Jesus Christ	Christ	Christ	Christ
2Co 11:31	Lord Jesus Christ	Lord Jesus	Lord Jesus	Lord Jesus
Eph 3:9	created all thingsby Jesus Christ	created all things	created all things	created all things
Eph 3:14	Father of our Lord Jesus Christ	Father	Father	Father
Co 1:2	Lord Jesus Christ	OMITTED	OMITTED	OMITTED
Co 1:28	Christ Jesus	Christ	Christ	Christ
1Th 2:19	Lord Jesus Christ	Lord Jesus	Lord Jesus	Lord Jesus
1Th 3:11	Lord Jesus Christ	Lord Jesus	Jesus our Lord	Lord Jesus
1Th 3:13	Lord Jesus Christ	Lord Jesus	Lord Jesus	Lord Jesus
2Th 1:8	Lord Jesus Christ	Lord Jesus	Lord Jesus	Lord Jesus
1Ti 2:7	truth in Christ	truth	truth	truth
2Ti 4:1	Lord Jesus Christ	Christ Jesus	Christ Jesus	Christ Jesus
He 3:1	Christ Jesus	Jesus	Jesus	Jesus
1Pe 5:10	Christ Jesus	Christ	Christ	Christ
1Jo 1:7	Jesus Christ	Jesus	Jesus	Jesus

Ok, so you read one or two, and you say, "no biggie," but 35 of them makes me wretch, because someone is out break down our confidence in our Redeemer with all of these subtle and not so subtle changes in what you read!

Moving on to 24 errors and OMISSIONS! If these omissions don't rock your world, then nothing can. How can they have the audacity to eliminate critical verses of scripture and keep a straight face. The truth is that it gets done over and over. Just a little bit at a time over the last 400 years gets diluted or altered in a way that changes our fundamental belief system. Believer beware!

	AV (King James)	New International	New American Standard	New World Translation
Mt 9:13	for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.	For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.	For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.	For I came to call, not righteous people, but sinners.
Mt 18:11	For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.	OMITTED	footnote casts doubt	OMITTED
Mt 19:17	Why callest thou me good?	"Why do you ask me about what is good?"	"Why are you asking me about what is good?"	"Wny do you ask me about what is good?"
Mt 25:13	Ye know neither the day nor the hourwherein the Son of man cometh.	You do not know the day or the hour.	You do not know the day nor the hour.	You know neither the day nor the hour,
Mk 10:24	.how hard it is for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!	.how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!	.how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!	.how difficult a thing it is to enter into the kingdom of God!
Lk 2:33	And Joseph and his mother,,,	The child's father and mother.	His father and mother.	its father and mother.
Lk 4:4	Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.	Man does not live on bread alone.	Man shall not live on bread alone.	Man must not live by bread alone.
Lh 4:8	Get thee behind me, Satan.	OMITTED	OMITTED	OMITTED
Jn 6:47	He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.	He who believes has everlasting life.	He who believes has eternal life.	He that believes has everlasting life.
Jn 8:9	And when they heard it,being convicted by their own conscience, went out.	.those who heard began to go away.	.when they heard it, they began to go out one by one.	OMITTED
Jn 9:4	I must work the works of him that sent me.	We must do the work of him who sent me.	We must work the works of Him who sent Me.	We must work the works of him that sent me.
Jn 10:30	I and my Father are one	I and the Father are one.	I and the Father are one.	I and the Father are one.
Ac 2:30	that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;	.he would place one of his descendants on his throne.	.to seat one of his descendants upon his throne.	.he would seat one from the fruitage of his loins upon his throne.
Ac 8:37	If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.	OMITTED	footnote casts doubt (some editions just omit it)	OMITTED
Ac 23:9	Let us not fight against God.	OMITTED	OMITTED	OMITTED
Rom 13:9	Thou shalt not bear false witness.	OMITTED	OMITTED	OMITTED
Co 1:14	In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins.	In whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.	In whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.	By means of whom we have our release by ransom, the forgiveness of our sins.
1Ti 3:16	God was manifest in the flesh.	He appeared in a body.	He who was revealed in the flesh.	He was made manifest in the flesh.
1Ti 6:5	Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.	"from such withdraw thyself" is omitted	"from such withdraw thyself" is omitted	"from such withdraw thyself" is omitted
1Pe 1:22	Ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit.	you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth.	Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls.	Now that you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth.
1Jo 4:3	And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God.	But every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God.	And every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God.	But every inspired expression that does not confess Jesus does not originate with God.
Re 5:14	Four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.	.the elders fell down and worshipped.	.the elders fell down and worshipped.	.the elders fell down and worshipped.
Re 20:9	Fire came down from God out of heaven.	Fire came down from heaven.	Fire came down from heaven.	Fire came down out of heaven.
Re 21:24	And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it.	The nations will walk by its light.	And the nations shall walk by its light.	And the nations will walk by means of its light.

Last, but certainly, not least is the plain old elimination of text by just red-lining it out. They insolently just cut out passages that don't fit their need. God says that any alteration will be met by death in judgement, but try to imagine the current mind set of someone sitting down and destroying God's Word for all time. So much for honesty and integrity in the process of version creation.

Matthew
1:25	And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.
5:44	But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
6:13	And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
6:33	But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
8:29	And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee,Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?
9:13	But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
12:35	A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.
13:51	Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord.
15:8	This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
16:3	And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?
16:20	Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.
17:21	Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.
18:11	For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.
19:9	And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery:and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.
19:17	And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
20:7	They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.
20:16	So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.
20:22	But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able.
23:14	Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.
25:13	Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hourwherein the Son of man cometh.
27:35	And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.
28:9	And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him.
Mark
1:14	Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,
1:31	And he came and took her by the hand, and lifted her up; andimmediately the fever left her, and she ministered unto them.
2:17	When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
6:11	And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.
6:16	But when Herod heard thereof, he said, It is John, whom I beheaded: he is risen from the dead.
7:8	For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.
7:16	If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.
9:24	And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.
9:42	And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.
9:44	Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
9:46	Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
9:49	For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt.
10:21	Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.
11:10	Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest.
13:14	But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains:
13:33	Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.
14:68	But he denied, saying, I know not, neither understand I what thou sayest. And he went out into the porch; and the cock crew.
15:28	And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And he was numbered with the transgressors.
16:9-20	Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils. And she went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept. And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not. After that he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country. And they went and told it unto the residue: neither believed they them. Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen. And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.(typically marginalized or set in brackets. Footnotes in NIV are patently false.)
Luke
1:28	And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
4:4	And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.
4:8	And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
4:41	And devils also came out of many, crying out, and saying, Thou artChrist the Son of God. And he rebuking them suffered them not to speak: for they knew that he was Christ.
7:31	And the Lord said, Whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation? and to what are they like?
9:54-56	And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another village.
11:2-4	And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.
11:29	And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet.
17:36	Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
21:4	For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had.
22:31	And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:
22:64	And when they had blindfolded him, they struck him on the face, and asked him, saying, Prophesy, who is it that smote thee?
23:17	(For of necessity he must release one unto them at the feast.)
23:38	And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
23:42	And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.
24:6	He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee,
24:40	And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet.
24:49	And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.
24:51	And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.
John
1:14	And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
1:27	He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose.
3:13	And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.
3:15	That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
4:42	And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.
5:3-4	In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.
6:47	Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.
6:69	And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.
11:41	Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.
16:16	A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father.
17:12	While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.

Look at the destruction of the four Gospels! These alterations are beyond words, and you need to stand up and be certain that your family is not sucked in by this heresy. God said to avoid them that seek to change his words, so do so...

At the end of the day, I believe that the KJV done in 1611 and 1769 are the absolute closest, literal translation of the original documents. Are they perfect? Absolutely not...so you must be vigilant in your study of scripture to be certain that your understanding of the written text is accurate first. Then let God take over to increase your knowledge and wisdom. The more you use the KJV version the closer you will be to the true meaning of the Holy Spirit when he inspired the author. I believe he is there today to guide the open heart and open mind to a richer, deeper understanding of God's Word. It all starts with the best version and translation available to you.

May God bless you all as you elevate the importance of his written word!

The Digital Disciple

KING JAMES BIBLE...Inspired Word of God?

In the early 1600's Queen Elizabeth I died after a long reign in England. It was then that her Scottish cousin, King James VI succeeded her to inherit the throne of the King of England. From his lowly Kingdom in Scotland, he suddenly became King of all England...A poor King in Scotland, became the rich King of England overnight. Back in those days there was plenty of turmoil concerning which of the many "Bibles" showing up was the true Word of God. The two major Protestant factions at the time had the "Geneva Bible," published by a small team of Calvinists, and the "Bishops' Bible," published by the Queen, sporting a picture of her on the title page.


I was always taught from these three Bibles sprang the enormous amounts of other Bibles over the next 3-400 years. This biblical version chart will show you these versions. These are versions, not translations:

Bible Version Chart There are Bible versions not included on this chart. For a more comprehensive list of Bible versions offered by AllBibles.com, you can use the following link to shop by Bible Version. Version Abr. Year Example Grade Level Translation Type NOTES Alba House Gospels 1992 Not Available 7th Grade Dynamic This Catholic version was translated from the 3rd UBS Greek New Testament and the 26th edition of the Nestle-Aland Novum Testamentum Graece by Mark Wauck. His goals are to render the text faithfully in contemporary American English. The words of Christ are cast in a poetic format. American Standard Version ASV 1901 1 Peter 3:15: ...but sanctify in your hearts Christ as Lord: [being] ready always to give answer to every man that asketh you a reason concerning the hope that is in you, yet with meakness and fear... 12th Grade Formal Equivalent This translation was the work of the American committee which had consulted on the English Revised Version (1885), which was itself a revision of the King James Version American Translation New Testament 1923; Old Testament 1927; Apocrypha 1938 Not Available Not Available Dynamic Produced as a common-language version specifically for public reading use by Edgar Goodspeed, this version was intended as an improvement on the variety of new English translations becoming available at the time. Amplified Bible AMP New Testament 1958; Old Testament 1964; Revised 1987 1 Peter 3:15: But in your hearts set Christ apart as holy [and acknowledge Him] as Lord. Always be ready to give a logical defense to anyone who asks you to account for the hope that is in you, but do it courteously and respectfully. 11th Grade Dynamic This translation is really a mini-commentary which features a system of verse-end alternate translations and comments on different shades of meaning in the original languages. Biblia de las Americas LBLA 1986 Not Available Not Available Formal Equivalent This new literal Spanish translation from the original languages is stylistically equivalent to the NASB. Contemporary English Version CEV New Testament 1991; Old Testament 1995 1 Peter 3:15: Honor Christ and let him be the Lord of your life. Always be ready to give an answer when someone asks you about your hope. 4th Grade Formal Equivalent This version seeks to be readable, yet faithful to the meaning of the original texts. Nouns describing God's actions (righteousness, salvation, etc.) are rendered in varying ways. This version avoids complicated language, obscure vocabulary and difficult sentence structure to produce a translation understandable to a wide variety of modern readers. Douay-Rheims New Testament 1609 Old Testament 1610 1 Peter 3:15: But sanctify the Lord Christ in your hearts, being ready always to satisfy every one that asketh you a reason of that hope which is in you. 9th-10th Grades Formal Equivalent This Roman Catholic translation was based on the Latin Vulgate (4th century), and was intended to counter the large number of Protestant English Bibles which appeared in the late 16th century. It reads much like the King James Version. Emphasized Bible New Testament 1878, 1897; Old Testament 1902 1 Peter 3:15: But the Lord Christ hallow ye in your hearts, ready always for defence unto every one that is asking you a reason concerning the hope within you, nevertheless, with meekness and reverence 12th Grade Formal Equivalent Joseph R. Rotherham's translation features special markings, indentations, and footnotes designed to convey the sense of Hebrew and Greek to the modern reader. English Standard Version ESV Fall 2001 1 Peter 3:15: but in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you. 8th Grade Formal Equivalent The ESV uses the classic principles of word-for-word translation and literary excellence as exemplified by the KJV and most recently the RSV. Highly accurate, the ESV closely reflects the original meaning of the text in clear, readable, enduring English. English Version for the Deaf New Testament 1978; Old Testament 1986 1 Peter 3:15: But you should keep the Lord Christ holy in your hearts. Always be ready to answer every person who asks you to explain about the hope you have. 6th Grade Dynamic Not a simple English translation, but one which is carefully designed to accommodate the thought patterns and special language needs of the deaf. Geneva Bible New Testament 1602 1 Peter 3:15: But fanctifie the Lord God in your harts: and be ready alwaies to give an anfwer to enery man that asketh you a reafon of the hope that is in you. College Formal Equivalent This New Testament features a text which reads like the King James Version, accompanied by commentary reflecting the Puritan theological outlook. God's Word GW New Testament 1988; Old Testament 1995 1 Peter 3:15: But dedicate your lives to Christ as Lord. Always be ready to defend your confidence in God when anyone asks you to explain it. However, make your defense with gentleness and respect. 4th-5th Grade Dynamic This revision utilizes the translation process employed by global mission organizations for translating the Bible into new foreign languages. The goal is to express the meaning of what appears in the forms of the original biblical languages into those expressing essentially the same meaning in modern English. Good News Version GNT New Testament 1966; Old Testament 1974, Revised 1993 1 Peter 3:15: But have reverence for Christ in your hearts, and honor him as Lord. Be ready at all times to answer anyone who asks you to explain the hope you have in you. 7th Grade Emphasis on Functional Equivalent A thought-for-thought translation theory called dynamic equivalence was used for this version. It uses common English throughout, and modern idioms are sometimes substituted for ancient ones in the interest of clarity. Holman Christian Standard Bible HCSB NT 2001 1 Peter 3:15: but set apart the Messiah as Lord in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you. NT 7th-8th Grade. When OT is available, it will be re-evaluated. Optimal Equivalence The HCSB is a combination of word-for-word and dynamic renderings that is both faithful to the words God inspired and user friendly to modern readers. Jerusalem Bible JER 1966 1 Peter 3:15: Simply reverence the Lord Christ in your hearts, and always have your answer ready for people who ask you the reason for the hope that you all have. 7th Grade Formal Equivalent Based on the French Bible de Jerusalem (1956), this Roman Catholic Bible is noted for its fine literary style, and is used across denominational lines. Jewish New Testament 1989 1 Peter 3:15: ...but treat the Messiah as holy, as Lord in your hearts; while remaining always ready to give a reasoned answer to anyone who asks you to explain the hope you have in you--yet with humility and fear... 8th Grade Formal Equivalent David H. Stern's modern translation from the Greek seeks to bring the Jewishness of the New Testament to the reader's attention by employing transliteration of Hebrew/Aramaic words (like Yeshua for Jesus) and Jewish cultural references. King James Version KJV 1611; Revised 1768 1 Peter 3:15: But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts; and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear. 12th Grade Formal Equivalent Commissioned by King James I of England, this translation is still recognized for the beauty of its language which dates from the time of William Shakespeare. Lamsa Bible 1933 Not Available Not Available Formal Equivalent A translation by George M. Lamsa which is based on the Eastern Peshitta manuscripts in Syriac, a language closely related to the Aramaic spoken by Jesus. Richmond Lattimore Translation of the New Testament 1996 1 Peter 3:15: but hallow the Lord Christ in your hearts, always ready to answer anyone who demands that you give a reason for the hope that is in you; but with gentleness and respect, with good conscience, 8th Grade Formal Equivalent Lattimore offers a simple, literal rendering of the New Testament that allows the syntax and order of the Greek dictate the character of the English style, without the pretensions of a Bible scholar. Living Bible LIV New Testament 1962; Old Testament 1971 1 Peter 3:15: Quietly trust yourself to Christ the Lord and if anybody asks why you believe as you do, be ready to tell him, and do it in a gentle and respectful way. 8th Grade Paraphrase This paraphrase of the American Standard Version was an attempt by Kenneth L. Taylor to put the Bible in language his children could understand. It is useful for introducing the Bible to people who are unfamiliar with it. The Message MES New Testament 1993; Psalms 1994; Complete Bible, July 2002 1 Peter 3:15: Through thick and thin, keep your hearts at attention, in adoration before Christ, your Master. Be ready to speak up and tell anyone who asks why you're living the way you are, and always with the utmost courtesy. 7th Grade Paraphrase Pastor and biblical scholar Eugene H. Peterson's aim in developing this contemporary language version is to transfer the informal and earthy flavor of the Greek into the rhythms and idiom of everyday English. Modern Language Bible -- Berkley Version New Testament 1945;Revised 1969; Old Testament 1959 Not Available Not Available Formal Equivalent This fairly literal translation is expressed in clear, simple American English. Moffatt Bible 1926, Revised in 1935 1 Peter 3:15: . . .but reverence Christ as Lord in your own hearts. Always be ready with a reply for anyone who calls you to account for the hope you cherish, but answer gently and with a sense of reverence 7th Grade Not Available James Moffatt's modern speech translation features some text rearrangement according to his understanding of biblical chronology and many Anglicisms. Montgomery New Testament 1924 Not Available Not Available Formal Equivalent This is the only modern speech translation of the New Testament produced by a woman. Helen Barrett Montgomery's translation is marked by a conversational style, with the text arranged into paragraphs. New American Bible NAB 1970; NT revised 1986; Psalms revised 1992 1 Peter 3:15: . . . But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope. 11th Grade Dynamic This is the first complete American Catholic Bible translated from the original languages. Its style is more direct than that of the Jerusalem Bible. New American Standard NASB New Testament 1963; Whole Bible 1971, Revised 1995 1 Peter 3:15: But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence. 11th Grade Formal Equivalent Especially popular among Evangelicals and others who want a word-for-word translation of the original manuscripts, this translation was prepared as an update of the 1901 American Standard Version (ASV). New Century Version NCV New Testament 1978; Old Testament 1986 1 Peter 3:15: But respect Christ as the holy Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to answer everyone who asks you to explain about the hope that you have. 3rd Grade Formal Equivalent From the translators of the International Children's Version, this conservative evangelical translation is in simple English, designed to be easy to read. New English Bible NEB New Testament 1961; Old Testament 1970 1 Peter 3:15: do not be perfurbed, but hold the Lord Christ in reverence in your hearts. Be always ready with your defence whenever you are called to account for the hope that is in you, but make that defense with modesty and respect. 8th Grade Dynamic The first British Bible to be translated from the original languages since the King James Version, this is a thought-by-thought translation in modern British English. It has been replaced, for the most part, by the Revised English Bible. New International Version NIV New Testament 1973; Old Testament 1978 1 Peter 3:15: But in your hearts set aside Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect. 7th Grade Primarily functional equivalent with some attention to formal considerations Called "international" because it is transdenominational and contains the work of many scholars from many English-speaking nations, the NIV is a straightforward translation in contemporary English. New International Readers' Version NIrV 1996 1 Peter 3:15: But make sure in your hearts that Christ is Lord. Always be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks you about the hope you have. Be ready to give the reason for it. But do it gently and with respect. 3rd Grade Simple Functional Equivalent The NIrV is a simplified version of the NIV, developed by the same translation team that prepared the NIV. Very easy reading, designed for children as a stepping stone to the NIV, as well as those for whom English is a second language. New Jerusalem Bible NJB 1985 1 Peter 3:15: Simply proclaim the Lord Christ holy in your hearts, and always have your answer ready for people who ask you the reason for the hope that you have. 9th Grade Not Available An update of the Jerusalem Bible, with revised footnotes and more dignified language. New Jewish Translation Torah 1962; Nevi'im 1978; Kethubim 1982; Tanakh 1985 Not Available 12th Grade Formal Equivalent A modern language translation of the Jewish Scriptures (Christian Old Testament); of special interest to students of the Old Testament. New King James Version NKJV 1982 1 Peter 3:15: But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear. 8th Grade Formal Equivalent This translation updates the language of the King James Version, changing archaic inflections and obsolete words, while preserving its basic literary structure. New Life Bible New Testament 1969; Old Testament 1986 Not Available Not Available Dynamic Missionaries Gleason and Kathyrn Ledyard's work in the Canadian arctic inspired them to develop a simple language version which breaks down difficult concepts into simple phrases. New Living Translation NLT 1996 I Peter 3:15: Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if you are asked about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it. 6th-7th Grades Functional Equivalent Using Kenneth Taylor's paraphrase, The Living Bible, as a base, a team of 90 Bible scholars worked for seven years, carefully comparing each verse with the Greek and Hebrew Scriptures to produce a true translation that is accurate and easy to understand. New Revised Standard Version NRSV 1990 1 Peter 3:15: . . . But in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you. 10th Grade Emphasis on Functional Equivalent An update of the Revised Standard Version (1952), this translation incorporates changes resulting from archaeological and textual discoveries in recent decades. J. B. Phillips' New Testament in Modern English 1958, Revised 1972 1 Peter 3:15: ...simply concentrate on being completely devoted to Christ in your hearts. Be ready at any time to give a quiet and reverent answer to any man who wants a reason for the hope that you have within you. 9th Grade Essentially Formal Equivalent Cast in striking modern British English, this translation uses phrase-by-phrase equivalents. Reina Valera RV60 1569, Revised 1909, 1960, and 1977 1 Peter 3:15: sino santificad a Dios el Senor en vuestros corazones, y estad siempre preparados para presentar defensa con mansedumbre y reverencia ante todo el que os demande razon de la esparanza que hay en vosotros; 10th Grade Emphasis on Formal Equivalent This Spanish-language Protestant Bible is stylistically equivalent to the KJV (1569, 1909 revisions), the RSV (1960), NRSV (1990) or the NAS (1977) Revised English Bible REB 1989 1 Peter 3:15: ...but hold Christ in your hearts in reverence as Lord. Always be ready to make your defense when anyone challenges you to justify the hope which is in you. But do so with courtesy and respect. 6th Grade Emphasis on Functional Equivalent This revision of the New English Bible, which began in 1973, features clear, contemporary international English. This text is intended for both private reading and public worship. Revised Standard Version RSV New Testament 1946; Old Testament 1952, Revised 1971 1 Peter 3:15: ...but in your hearts reverence Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to make a defense to any one who calls you to account for the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and reverence; 7th Grade Formal Equivalent A revision of the American Standard Version (1901), the RSV was intended to preserve the best of that version while incorporating modern English. Simple English Bible 1980 Not Available Not Available Emphasis on Functional Equivalent This translation is based on a working text used for the production of modern foreign Bibles. It has a 3,000-word vocabulary and the sentence structure commonly found in newspapers and magazines. The Schocken Bible Volume 1: The Five Books of Moses 1983, 1986, 1990, 1995 Not Available 10th Grade Emphasis on Functional Equivalent Translated by Everett Fox, this translation seeks to retain the full force of the rhetoric and poetry of the original languages and recover layers of meaning that have been lost in other recent translations. Twenty-first Century King James Version 1994 1 Peter 3:15: But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and be ready always to give an answer to every man who asketh you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear. 8th Grade Emphasis on Functional Equivalent An updating of archaic language, punctuation, etc. of the original 1611 KJV for 21st Century readers, that safeguards the integrity and beauty of the original KJV. Tyndale New Testament 1525, Revised 1534 1 Peter 3:15: ...but fancifye the Lorde God in your hartes. Be redy alwayes to geve an anfwere to every man that axeth you a refon of the hope that is in you/and that with meaknes and feare... College Emphasis on Functional Equivalent William Tyndale's determination to produce a translation readable by common people eventually led to his death. Although controversial, the Tyndale New Testament had a great impact on the language of the KJV. Weymouth New Testament 1890, Revised 1912 1 Peter 3:15: ...but in your hearts consecrate Christ as Lord, being always ready to make your defense to any one who asks from you a reason for the hope which you cherish... 10th Grade Emphasis on Functional Equivalent Richard F. Weymouth produced this translation in the contemporary English of his time. Worrell New Testament 1904 Not Available Not Available Emphasis on Formal Equivalent A. S. Worrell sought to update the accuracy and grammar of the King James Version in his translation of the New Testament and included his personal study notes in it as well. Wuest Expanded Translation New Testament Gospels 1956; Acts-Ephesians 1958; Philippians-Revelation 1959 Not Available Not Available Emphasis on Formal Equivalent Kenneth Wuest sought to use as many English words as were necessary to bring out the force and clarity of the Greek text. This version follows Greek word order and seeks to differentiate between the various verb tenses in that language. Young's Literal Translation 1862, Revised 1887 1 Peter 3:15: ...and the Lord God sanctify in your hearts. And [be] ready always for defence to every one who is asking of you in account concerning the hope that [is] in you, with meakness and fear; 8th-9th Grades Formal Equivalent Robert Young sought to correct certain inaccuracies in the King James Version in this very literal translation.

For those of you who like to keep count that is 49 versions of what believer's call "The Word of God."
Each version has been translated into many languages and so on...You get the picture. It's kind of like finding "Waldo," a kid's game, because everything looks so similar, feels so similar, and after all, they are all Bibles, right? Hold that thought while we explore further...


After some study and the help of our friend, Google, I have gained some insight on the versions that will curl your toes, fellow believers, so here goes:

1. Many of the versions dilute, detract or destroy the Pre-Eminence of Jesus Christ as the Son of God, the Redeemer, or His blood sacrifice for mankind. The comparison below is worth your time and effort to understand in detail.
2. These same versions delete or omit critical verbiage from the original translated text at will.
3. Finally you will see original translated passages lined out in RED, so that they are eliminated altogether in the New Testament. 

Hard to believe you say? Who would want to muddy the water of life, just enough to cause derisiveness in the ranks of God? Who could do it so delicately over centuries that God's own would accept heresy in place of the genuine article? It's one thing to have reasonable discussion and debate on the meaning of passages or words...It's one thing to share the wisdom from years of a close walk with God...This is none of that! What I will point out in great detail key comparative results of the three most popular versions, so that there can be no question in your mind why these 49 versions, plus various printed editions exist. Here are those versions used and their print dates:

1. New International               (NIV) 1984
2. New American Standard    (NASB) 1977
3. New World Translation      (NWT) 1984

On the surface these look harmless, and the average person would think that since most of these are quite similar to the King James Version, they must be OK. All of my sources stop just short of calling any of these, "changes," "alterations," or "improvements," part of any type of conspiracy, but I disagree. Not only do we have conspiracy, we have scriptural fraud under the guise of "new and improved!" 

Treating the Holy Word of God like a box of Tide washing detergent is degrading to our Creator, and all those authors who spent years of their lifetimes sharing what the Holy Spirit of God Almighty inspired them to write for us. Fortunately we have researchers who have spent years compiling data for us to use when choosing Bibles. Worse than the this, the authors of these "Bibles" claim that nothing has been changed. Their RAISON D'ÊTRE is nothing but a shell game of momentous proportion.

In the second part of this post #24, we will go verse by verse over some rugged terrain, exposing the depths of this fraudulent depravity, and we will discuss original texts, in original language for our own enlightenment. Jesus says in the Book of Mark, "Heaven and Earth shall pass way, but my WORDS shall not pass away." In Revelation 22:18 we are specifically warned not to change, add or omit from this book of prophecy. God, the Prophets, and the Apostles all state inextricably, "DO NOT TOUCH," when it comes to Inspired Scripture, and yet it's happening in front of our noses all the time. 


In the meantime, ask God for divine wisdom in dealing with this important issue. Next week I will supply the foder, that brings into the light what darkness has been doing for many years...


God bless your study of his Word. He hasn't needed our help so far, and I am certain, he does not need it now. Forewarned is forearmed in the fight for righteousness.




The Digital Disciple